CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Software is all about managing relationships between businesses and their customers. It's an essential tool if you want to be successful in business. However, not everyone can afford or wants to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars on top of the regular price tag of these products. That's where white label CRMs come into play.
A white label CRM allows anyone who has access to it to create custom solutions that meet their unique needs. They are essentially pre-built versions of popular cloud-based applications. This way, any organization will have a product available that suits its specific needs without having to spend huge sums of money on something that won't work well with them.
The concept behind this kind of software is simple. Instead of going through the process of creating one from scratch yourself, why not just license someone else to take care of it for you instead? While there are many ways to go about doing so, we'll focus here on two different types of white label CRMs. The first is called "whitelabel" CRMs whereas the second is referred to as "reseller" CRMs. Let's look at both of those now.
If you're looking for a solution that works perfectly for your agency then you should probably opt for the whitelabel version of the world's leading CRM platform. As far as I'm concerned, there isn't much competition out there when it comes to providing a solution like this because no other white label CRM offers the features and functionality that Salesforce does. In fact, it was only last year that Salesforce announced plans to make its software even more powerful by adding new capabilities such as AI and machine learning. And while some people might think this means that Salesforce is becoming too big to fail, I'd argue that it actually makes it stronger than ever before. With the right tools, it becomes easier to manage, grow, and scale up quickly.
Another thing worth mentioning is that Salesforce is also completely free for small teams and organizations. Even though it's still pricey compared to competitors like Microsoft Dynamics 365, there are lots of reasons to choose it over others. For example, it doesn't require an annual subscription fee and you don't have to buy licenses for every single employee.
Salesforce also provides a lot of value added services to help users get the most out of their time spent using the app. These include things like customer service training for salespeople, marketing automation support, analytics reports, mobile apps, API integrations, etc. So although Salesforce may cost more upfront, it ends up saving you plenty of money down the road.
Now let's talk about the reseller model. If you have a team of 10 employees but you really want to save tons of cash and avoid unnecessary expenses, maybe you could benefit from a reseller account. A reseller account basically lets you sell a complete package of Salesforce to multiple customers rather than offering each individual user a separate license. You would provide all the necessary setup, maintenance, and support to ensure that your client gets exactly what they need.
However, keep in mind that there aren't many good options for this type of product. Most CRMs on the market today allow you to customize certain parts of their interface based on your requirements. But none of them truly offer the full suite of customization that you could potentially need.
This is why I recommend sticking with the whitelabel option whenever possible. Why waste your valuable resources trying to compete against the likes of Salesforce when you know you'll lose anyway? Plus, you'll never run into issues with compatibility since you've already paid for the privilege of licensing the app.
When it comes to which CRM vendor is the best choice for your agency, it depends entirely upon how much control you want to exert over the final product. Since most people tend to prefer a hands off approach, I highly suggest opting for a whitelabel application. After all, you wouldn't expect a restaurant owner to build his entire kitchen himself, would you? Of course not! He hires experts who specialize in cooking food specifically designed to serve his guests' tastes.
So with CRM, you want to hire professional developers and specialists who understand your industry inside and out. And the best place to find these kinds of people is online. There are countless freelancers and consultants who specialize in building customized CRMs that fit your exact specifications. Some of them even sell readymade templates for existing platforms.
You see, unlike traditional IT firms, freelance coders often have a broad range of skill sets. They can write code, design websites, and develop programs. That's why they're perfect for tasks like web development, SEO optimization, data entry, and graphic designing. Many of them can also handle projects related to CRM integration, email marketing management, contact list creation, project planning, workflow automation, and reporting. What's more, they usually charge less than $100 per hour.
All of this means that hiring a developer to build you a CRM isn't nearly as expensive as you might imagine. All you need to do is sit back and relax while he takes care of the heavy lifting. But remember, you must always supervise him closely. Your goal is to make sure that he finishes the job correctly and within budget. Doing otherwise could end up costing you a fortune.
It seems like almost everybody uses Customer Relationship Management nowadays. Whether it's used internally or externally, it's hard to deny that CRM plays a crucial role in helping companies interact better with their customers. No matter whether you're selling goods or providing services, you need to stay connected to your customers in order to gain a competitive advantage.
But despite my personal preference for whitelabelled CRMs, I recognize that sometimes it simply isn't feasible for smaller organizations. Perhaps you're working with a tight budget or perhaps you have a limited number of qualified staff members. Or maybe you're running a startup and you don't have enough capital to invest in the purchase of proprietary software. Whatever the case may be, the truth remains that there are numerous benefits to choosing a CRM that's compatible with the operating system you currently use.
For instance, if you're running Windows XP, chances are that you're stuck with MS Access. Sure, it may seem outdated at times but it's pretty easy to learn. Not to mention, you don't have to worry about paying monthly fees for updates. On the flip side, if you're using Windows 7, 8/8.1, or 10, you'll definitely enjoy faster performance thanks to native APIs.
Whatever OS you're using, however, the ideal candidate for a CRM should be capable of connecting easily with databases stored locally or remotely. Otherwise, you risk losing important information during upgrades and future changes.
In addition to being able to connect with local files, the ideal CRM should also be able to integrate seamlessly with third party systems. This way, you can track leads across multiple channels. Another great feature is the ability to automatically generate invoices via PDFs or XPS documents. Once again, this saves you precious time and ensures that you remain compliant throughout the entire billing cycle.
Finally, you should consider investing in a CRM that supports advanced functions such as predictive analysis, real-time notifications, social media monitoring, and automated follow ups. These kinds of tools greatly improve productivity and ultimately boost revenue exponentially.
A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system allows businesses and organizations to better manage their relationships with customers. One of the best ways to do this is through a Customer Relationship Management platform that offers features such as marketing automation, customer feedback management, email marketing, sales tracking, social media integration, etc.
When you're working in an agency environment there's no question about whether or not you should be using a CRM -- it makes sense! But how can you get started on one if you don't have any experience with them? The good news is that many companies offer products under a so called "White Label" model. This means that instead of buying something from a brand name supplier like Salesforce, NetSuite or Microsoft Dynamics 365, they buy from a third party who has already developed a product based off those systems but then customizes the look & feel for their particular needs. One example would be a web shop owner selling clothing online which wants to use a CRM solution to help build their business into success. They purchase a package from a vendor who specializes in creating these sorts of solutions and customize them specifically for them. Then they sell it back to people just like themselves and make money when others sign up for the same service.
This concept works well because all of the underlying code remains intact between the original developer and the end user. So if anything goes wrong, someone else will likely know exactly what went wrong and fix the problem without having to go through months of debugging. It also helps reduce costs since companies often find out quickly which parts of a product aren't needed. That way they only pay for the exact amount of functionality they actually want. White labeling doesn't always work though, especially when a client wants to change certain aspects of a product after purchasing it. In that case, you may still need to hire an actual programmer to modify the existing source code before making changes yourself.
But even if a client isn't interested in changing things around too much, white label software can really improve productivity by streamlining processes across multiple departments within a single organization. For instance, a marketing team might get confused trying to keep track of leads coming in via various platforms while at the same time managing campaigns and automating followups with different tools. A CRM could easily handle all of these tasks in a centralized location saving everyone involved lots of headaches.
In addition, CRMs allow marketers to automate repetitive tasks that typically require human intervention. Some examples include sending emails with customized subject lines, scheduling automated phone calls, importing contacts from other databases, generating reports, etc. These kinds of activities typically take up valuable time which could otherwise be focused more on growing your business. By outsourcing some of these functions to a reliable CRM provider, you'll save tons of hours each month plus generate revenue from new sources.
If you've ever heard anyone refer to anything as being "white labeled," chances are they were referring to software. There are several reasons why this term came about. First off, white labels don't necessarily come in plain black packaging either. Many times, they'll be covered in a thin layer of glossy plastic so that it looks almost identical to the real thing except maybe for minor color differences here and there. You won't see any logos or branding anywhere on the outside of the box either, so unless you happen to recognize the logo of the specific brand itself, you probably wouldn't notice there was anything different about it.
The reason for this type of packaging is simple enough. Companies realize that consumers tend to prefer brands over generic products because they usually represent quality. If you buy a car made by Ford, you expect it to last longer than a cheap knockoff because you know Ford built it to withstand years of abuse. Likewise, if you buy a computer manufactured by Dell, you expect that it will perform reliably and efficiently every day until the next upgrade arrives. To appeal to that sort of consumer, many manufacturers opt for "white label" packaging where they simply put their brand somewhere on the outer surface of the box.
The second reason behind the popularity of white labelling is because it saves companies money. Instead of paying for expensive licensing fees, developers create products that meet your requirements and then hand them over to you completely free of charge. All you have to do is decide how you'd like to use them, order the necessary components and install them onto your server.
It's important to note here that although you're getting a fully functional piece of software from the manufacturer, you're not actually getting access to their entire library of resources. As mentioned above, the vast majority of CRM services are available exclusively to licensed users meaning that you cannot download the full version of the software directly from its official website. Instead, you must pay up front for a license key allowing you to activate your account and gain access to all of the included applications.
Even though you're technically only able to use the core elements provided by the developer, you may still choose to integrate additional modules later down the road once you start seeing results. However, doing so requires extra effort on your part and could potentially cause compatibility issues depending on how closely related the two pieces of software are.
Another benefit of white label software is that it gives small firms a chance to compete against larger competitors. When you partner with a reputable development firm, they provide you with a complete solution including design, programming, hosting and support so that you never have to worry about a single aspect of running your business. Plus, you retain ownership of everything inside of your company's data center. If you run into trouble, you can call upon the expertise of a trusted IT consultant whenever you need assistance.
Finally, white labeling helps avoid situations where you lose control of your data. With proprietary software, you risk losing your information if you stop paying for subscriptions or move jobs. On the flip side, however, you could theoretically leave your job and continue running the same setup indefinitely if you had purchased a perpetual license rather than a subscription plan. Even with a white label option, you're still responsible for keeping backups of your files so that you can restore lost data if needed.
Generally speaking, the price of a CRM depends on the number of licenses you intend to purchase. Most packages fall into 4 categories, namely Standard, Professional, Enterprise and Unlimited. Each category comes with varying levels of functionality and performance based on the size of your company. Generally speaking, professional accounts will give you the ability to add unlimited users, send thousands of messages per month, import large amounts of data, etc. While enterprise plans will generally provide fewer options, they will allow you to scale beyond the limits of standard versions. And finally, unlimited accounts offer you all of the benefits of higher tier plans but without any limitations whatsoever.
All of these prices apply regardless of whether you purchase a traditional physical copy or a digital file delivered straight to your inbox. Regardless of which payment method you select, you'll receive a 30 day trial period during which you can test drive the application prior to committing to a long-term contract. After that point, you'll need to make a decision regarding renewal.
Many vendors now offer monthly payment plans which let you spread out your payments evenly throughout the year. Others offer flexible pricing structures which depend entirely on how big your company grows. Typically, you'll be required to commit to a minimum annual commitment of $1,000 USD or 1,500 EURO, whichever is greater.
Additionally, many providers offer discounts depending on how many employees you currently employ or how much you spend annually. For instance, you could qualify for a 20% discount if you have 10 employees or less. Or perhaps you qualify for 5% off if you spend less than $50k/year on payroll alone. Keep in mind that these numbers are typical averages so the total value of your savings will vary greatly depending on how big your company gets.
There are three primary types of CRM programs that you'll commonly encounter: Open Source, SaaS (Software as a Service), and Cloud-based. Let's briefly discuss each of these below along with pros and cons associated with each.
Open Source CRMs:
These programs are designed to be used by individuals, SMBs and freelancers alike. Since there are no restrictions placed on usage, they're perfect for smaller operations looking to stay independent. Because they lack advanced security measures and complex administration capabilities, these models are ideal for beginners who wish to learn the ropes without risking breaking the bank.
Pros: Easy to set up, low maintenance, easy to understand, affordable.
Cons: Not suitable for high volume users, limited customization possibilities, lacks robust reporting tools.
SaaS (Software as a Service):
As opposed to open source alternatives, this kind of CRM provides a hosted solution to customers. Essentially, they host the software on servers located remotely, giving you access to all of the latest updates and improvements without needing to deal with complicated installations or upgrades.
Pros: Reliable, secure, scalable, customizable.
Cons: Expensive, difficult to maintain, hard to train staff members.
Cloud-Based CRMs:
If you're a business owner or marketing manager, then you probably use some sort of CRM system. But what exactly does that mean? Is it just an email tool like MailChimp or do you have more complex needs? What makes these systems so important if you can get them from anywhere without paying anything? And how much will they cost?
There are hundreds of different CRMs available online today, but most fall into one of four categories: Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Lead Generation Software, Salesforce.com (SaaS) and Microsoft Dynamics 365/Azure. Each has its specific benefits depending on the type of business you run, however all offer something similar.
Here we'll look at each of those categories and explain what makes them unique. We'll also answer questions about pricing as well as the differences between the various solutions.
The first thing to understand about CRM is that it doesn't necessarily describe what kind of information you store within the application itself. There is no such thing as "CRM" per se when talking about technology because every solution will vary based on your industry. However, I can give you a general idea of what you might expect from each category below.
Customer Relationship Management Systems
As the name suggests this is where you manage customer relationships through interactions with customers via phone calls, emails, social media platforms, etc. These applications tend to be used by businesses who want to track leads and prospects across multiple channels while storing contact details, notes and other relevant information. They often include tools that help automate repetitive tasks to save time and money. For example, you may be able to automatically send out follow up emails after someone signs up for your free trial or download forms directly onto your website using webhooks. Some systems even allow you to integrate data from third party apps allowing you to access valuable insights from outside sources.
Lead generation software
This typically refers to any product which helps companies find new potential customers. It can range from simple websites that collect names and numbers with minimal effort, to highly automated tools designed to generate high volumes of leads quickly. Most lead generation software offers features such as landing pages, autoresponders and sales funnels. The latter allows users to create a series of steps that visitors must pass through before reaching the end goal. This helps keep people engaged and encourages them to make purchases.
Sales force automation
This is another common term referring to products which help streamline processes around selling. Many SaaS solutions come preloaded with prebuilt templates and scripts which simplify the process of setting up campaigns and managing contacts. You don’t always need to buy additional plugins either since some offer integrations with popular accounting software packages. Others focus purely on automating sales activities including cold calling, appointment scheduling and order management.
Microsoft Azure / Dynamics 365 (formerly known as Dynamics AX)
These two systems both rely heavily on integration with cloud services provided by Microsoft. As such, they provide powerful capabilities including seamless collaboration with colleagues and partners. Both also offer robust analytics and reporting tools. In addition, Microsoft provides extensive training courses to ensure the best results possible. Pricing varies significantly depending on whether you choose the hosted version or go self-hosted. For the former option, prices start at $8 per user per month whereas the latter starts at $100 per user annually.
Now that you know what CRM stands for let's take a closer look at the three core components. A good CRM should enable you to easily capture customer information, organize it and share it with others. Here are the key areas covered by almost all solutions:
Email marketing
One of the most basic functions of CRM is email marketing. Without being able to send messages to your list, you won't be able to build rapport with prospective customers or gather enough information for effective advertising campaigns. Whether you prefer sending mass mailings with auto responders, segmenting lists or creating drip campaigns, having a reliable way to communicate with existing and future customers is crucial for success.
Contact management
In addition to email, a CRM app lets you store details about your entire client base. That includes things like personal details, job titles, addresses and phone numbers. Having this information handy means you can reach out to anyone at anytime. If you ever lose touch with a prospect, you can simply search through your records to see if they still exist. Also, you can cross reference records with external databases to identify duplicates and errors.
Marketing automation
Some CRM programs also include built-in marketing automation tools that allow you to schedule emails, set rules and triggers, and monitor performance metrics. Once again, this saves you time and energy so you can spend more time building long-term relationships instead of trying to manually handle each case.
While there are dozens of options available there are only four broad categories of CRM software:
Customer relationship management
Many businesses operate under strict guidelines regarding privacy laws and regulations. That's why CRM software comes equipped with security measures to prevent unauthorized access and protect sensitive information. Depending on what level of protection you require, you can pick a system which meets your requirements. Common features include password strength checks, single sign-on, multi-factor authentication and encryption protocols.
Automation
Most CRM solutions offer advanced automation features to improve efficiency. For instance, you could set up automatic responses once certain criteria are met. Other possibilities include scheduled emails, workflow tracking, form creation and approval, and dynamic workflows. All of these add value to your bottom line by making sure tasks are completed efficiently and accurately.
Collaboration & teamwork
A lot of modern CRM solutions feature integrated team communication tools like chat rooms, forums and document sharing. Collaboration and project management become easier when everyone involved uses the same platform. It's also beneficial for employees to stay organized and updated throughout the day since they can receive updates from coworkers and managers regardless of location.
It depends on whom you ask! But according to Gartner, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is the most widely deployed enterprise resource planning (ERP) software suite in the world, followed closely by SAP. In terms of revenue growth, Salesforce.com tops the charts. According to Forbes, the top 10 CRM vendors generated over $11 billion combined last year. To put that figure into perspective, Google made nearly twice as much ($19.7B).
To learn more about CRM software check out our guide titled How to Choose Your Next CRM Solution. Or better yet, talk to us here at Cloud Technology Partners to discuss your individual needs.
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.